Mommy Issues
by Illicium verum
Summary: When Shiori is attacked on her way home from work, she struggles to recover. Physically, she's fine within a few weeks, but she has trouble emotionally. She wants to be strong for her husband and children, so she tries not to show how much she's hurting. But something has to give; even a strong woman needs help sometimes. And Kurama hates when his mother is hurt. Torture, rape.
1. Chapter 1

Mommy Issues

The train rushed along in the darkness, a steady stream of light illuminating the countryside. Like a river, it ran straight on toward the gleaming tower of light that was Tokyo. Gradually the passengers could see more and more houses, then suburbs, then skyscrapers. The train pulled into the downtown station, and when the doors opened, the interior was flooded with announcements, conversations, shouts, and clatter. The doors shut again, and the noise abruptly faded. The train started off again through the city. Three stops later the train arrived at the edge of an affluent suburb, where suited businessmen rose to exit, eyes glued to their phones. Shiori also stood, checked her bags, and bustled off the train. In her heels, she was soon outpaced by the businessmen, and she was alone on the dark streets. Shiori was so absorbed in thinking of dinner plans that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. She didn't have time to scream.


	2. Chapter 2

Mommy Issues

Shiori sat curled up into herself, shaking and unable to move. Bruises were already forming on her arms, and they looked sickly green in the glow of the street lights. Inside, her mind was going through the rational response. She should call her husband and the police. She should go home, but she wasn't supposed to take a shower in case there might be physical evidence that could be used to catch the person who did…this. Shiori took several deep breaths, then stood up and straightened her clothes, picked up her bag, and continued to walk home. Her rational mind was still telling her to call someone, to get help, but she couldn't. Several times, Shiori just started crying hysterically, unable to see or hear over her wracking sobs. She couldn't control it, so she leaned up against a fence or a wall or a street light until it passed and she could walk again. After half an hour, Shiori made it home. In other circumstances, she would have been disappointed to see no car in the driveway and no lights on inside, but tonight she was relieved yet also strangely empty. A yawning hollowness was opening up inside of her, swallowing all feeling. At the same time, she wanted to be left alone and she wanted to be held, comforted, and protected.

It took Shiori several tries to fit her key into the lock and get the door open, but once she was inside she locked, latched, and bolted the door. She went through the house closing and locking the windows and shutting the drapes tightly. The house seemed so large and empty, and Shiori was afraid to go take a shower, though she was fixated on washing the past hour off her body and out of her mind. Despite her fears, and despite her rational mind still urging her to report the attack, Shiori spent the next forty minutes in the shower, taking comfort in the routine.

In a way, Shiori was glad when her family came home. She arranged her hair nicely and dressed in comfortable clothes. She could focus on making dinner, and having other people to serve made it easier for her to smile and take care of their needs. Her son was still away with his friends on a camping trip, but young Shuichi had homework and stories of cram school. Her husband listened indulgently to his son, asking questions and drawing out more stories. Shiori came alive smiling, laughing, groaning, and chiding in turn at Shuichi's tales from school. After dinner, Hatanaka helped with the dishes, and the two of them chatted lightly, playing with the water and soap bubbles. Hatanaka had a big meeting in the morning, so the two of them went to bed early, warning Shuichi not to stay up too late playing video games.

Once Hatanaka was asleep and Shiori was alone in the dark, her mind would not settle down. She felt strong arms wrap around her, and she shuddered. She nearly screamed, and she started crying, her breath catching in her throat and making soft sobs. Panic welled up inside, and she turned over on her stomach, holding herself close and burying her face in her pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

Shiori didn't sleep at all that night, and when Hatanaka and Shuichi had both gone off to work and school in the morning, Shiori was so exhausted from fear and lack of sleep that she had only closed her eyes for a moment while sitting on the couch, and the next she knew it was late afternoon and her son Shuichi was home making tea. Shiori sat up sleepily, a bit confused why Shuichi had come home early from camping. But he often got home early or stayed out much later than he planned, so it wasn't really that odd. Through her sleepiness, it gradually hit her that her son was home and she should go over and say hello to him. Shiori combed her fingers through her hair and stumbled into the kitchen. She held her son from behind, content to have him home again.

"Hello, Mother," he laughed.

"How was your trip?" she asked, turning him to face her and brushing a few stray hairs out of his face.

He shrugged. "It was okay. We had a pretty rough time of it this time. There were some wild animals, and Kuwabara got a bit scratched up in the forest." The kettle turned off with a sudden click. "Would you like some tea?" he asked, ever the picture of gentility.

"Sure, love," she replied absently.

So the two of them sat at the table drinking tea in companionable silence. The tea was warm and filling, and Shiori was glad of the warmth and the company. The wood chairs were another matter. Every passing moment it seemed like all her weight was pressing down on her hips, and pain blossomed out everywhere her body touched the chair. Fortunately, Shuichi needed to get a book to read for class, so Shiori took the opportunity to move them into the living room where she could sit on a couch. But soon enough, Shuichi had to go to class, and Shiori was left alone again.

The room seemed to expand, and all the warmth left her until she felt chilled to the bone. The great emptiness welled up in her soul again, draining her will to move. Shiori lay limp on the couch, frozen with the overwhelming feeling of nothingness eating away at her. She felt her mental barriers break down, and she couldn't even form a coherent thought anymore. Her normal restraint was gone, and only her absolute inability to move kept her from screaming and pulling at her hair. She wanted to scream, to run, to hit something. What was left of her rational mind was lost in this sea of despair and emptiness, and it _hurt_. She wanted so badly just to drive a knife into her chest and cut out the pain. Above the noise in her head, Shiori heard Hatanaka's car pull into the driveway. She got up calmly, went to get dressed, and when he came in the door she greeted him cheerfully. Although she was smiling, the pit of despair and nothingness in her soul did not leave her, and she felt hollow. The pain was overwhelming, and it seemed like a deafening noise, though she could hear even the smallest sound in the house. Unsettled, Shiori cleaned up the tea dishes and pulled out food for dinner. Her son Shuichi called to say that he would be home very late, which Shiori had half expected, but she was still disappointed.

Dinner was the same routine, and Shiori kept up a hearty discussion with Hatanaka and his Shuichi about high school crushes. Again when everyone was asleep, Shiori lay awake, overwhelmed with loneliness, pain, and that ever-present feeling of hollowness.


	4. Chapter 4

Koenma called pretty often in the middle of missions, so none of the team was surprised to notice Yusuke's compact flashing. What was surprising was that Koenma was calling for Kurama. Yusuke tossed the compact casually, knowing that Kurama would catch it. Kurama glared at Koenma, almost daring him to say something inane. The other boys zoned out, still watching an empty warehouse for signs of smuggling activity that Koenma swore was happening. Suddenly the air seemed deathly chill. The nearby plant life withered and died, birds stopped singing, and ki crystallized in the air, hanging in beautiful patterns. Kurama was frozen in place, his face pale and absolutely calm. Suddenly he disappeared, leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara alternately staring in shock at the place Kurama had left and looking questioningly at Hiei wondering if he had overheard anything.

Kurama sat perfectly still in front of Koenma's desk.

"Kurama, you must understand that we have to leave the situation up to the human authorities. I only told you about the incident with your mother because I want to make it absolutely clear that you are not to take action," Koenma said authoritatively, emphasizing his words by pounding his desk.

"I understand," Kurama said placidly. "But you must understand that I will not tolerate this…situation. I will turn Tokyo upside down to find the person who did this. If you stand against me, I will lay waste to Reikai. If you send Yusuke to stop me, I will not have pity on him. If you send the SDF to keep me from my target, I will destroy them. You have your rules, and I have followed them up until now. But my mother has been hurt, and nothing will stand in the way of my revenge."

"Kurama, look. This sort of petty revenge is personal," Koenma began. But Kurama had already left.


	5. Chapter 5

After a quick stop at home to make sure Shiori was okay, Kurama left the house with cold fury in his heart. Yusuke and the others had been recalled, and were currently following him trying to talk him out of it.

"I've told you, there's no reason for you to come with me," Kurama said, a bit annoyed.

"Kurama, think about what you're doing. What will revenge accomplish?" Yusuke asked.

"Is your mom okay?" Kuwabara asked.

Only Hiei was silent, but Kurama could sense the mental questioning.

When the four reached the point where Shiori was attacked, Kuwabara, ever the sensitive one, stumbled as his spiritual senses were overwhelmed with the memories of the attack. He fell to his knees crying. Hiei watched Kuwabara's mental anguish, but a cursory glance with the jagan turned into shock and horror as he realized what had happened.

Yusuke, with his inability to sense ki memories and lacking psychic ability, was left in the dark.

"What?" he kept questioning. "Guys, seriously, what happened?"

Hiei turned to Kurama and asked softly, "What do you want to do?"

Kurama's eyes turned gold. "Kill her slowly, her and her family."

Yusuke's eyes went wide. "Dude, that sounds like a bit of overkill. Maybe we should just beat her up and give her to the police," he suggested.

"Overkill?" Kurama asked quietly. "This is not overkill, this is revenge. She will have no justice, no mercy. Even when she is dead, I will ruin her. There will be nothing left."

Even Kuwabara, who had seen a ki shadow of the incident, seemed shocked.

"If you don't like the idea, you're welcome to go home," Kurama said dismissively. "I will do this. She could have targeted anyone else and it wouldn't matter, but she hurt my mother and for that she will die."

"So what's the plan?" Hiei asked abruptly.

"No plan," Kurama said lightly. "I'm going to find this person, and then I'm going to kill her slowly. After all," he said with a smile, "it's personal now."

"Dude, be careful," Kuwabara said. "Don't let revenge turn you into one of the bad guys."

"There is no good and evil, only rhetoric," Kurama mused. "And if killing someone who raped my mother is evil, then let me be evil."

As the sun slowly began to set, Kurama called his mother, let her know he would be home late, and turned resolutely toward the city.


	6. Chapter 6

Shiori lay on her back in bed, tears running down her face. She was trying to read her favorite book, but every few minutes she would be overwhelmed with fear and sadness again, and she would have to put the book down and wait for the tears and emotions to pass. The phone downstairs was ringing again, and it was probably her boss wondering why she hadn't come into work again. Shiori was lethargic, and although she knew it was important to go to work or at least to come up with an excuse, she had no will to get up and go to the phone.

There was no reason for anything anymore. What was the point of her life? She woke up, ate, worked, and cooked for her husband and sons. What did she give to the world? Nothing. She consumed resources but didn't give anything back. What reason did she have to live? Hatanaka was capable. He certainly didn't need her to cook or clean. With his good salary and savings, he could have a more attractive woman as his wife instead of an aging widow. His son Shuichi had already lost his mother, and he hadn't really formed a strong attachment to a new stepmother. Her Shuichi was at university, and he had good friends, and he was doing well in life without her. Nobody would miss her. Nobody needed her. Probably nobody wanted her. Nobody cared.

Tears welled up in Shiori's eyes again as she thought of plans to kill herself. She wondered idly if she should leave a note explaining the attack but thought better of it. Who would even believe her? If she said she was raped by a man, her husband would defend her and the police would be chasing down the perpetrator. But to be raped by another woman? Shiori felt all the shame of her situation and all the hurt and frustration that nobody would take her attack seriously. The inner voice of shame nagged at her, telling her that she was worthless for letting herself be raped by another woman, that she could have at least had the decency to be _actually_ raped by a man. She was worthless, she was a failure; she had even failed at being raped of all things. There was no place for her in this world.

Shiori's whole body shook, and she shuddered as she remembered being pushed down on the ground, being slammed repeatedly into the pavement until she was dizzy and light headed, the feeling of having something large and definitely unpleasant being jammed up inside of her, the shame of looking up and seeing a woman on top of her, smiling down sadistically and masturbating to the sight of Shiori's pain.

Shiori's tears turned into heaving sobs, and she curled up and tried desperately to hold herself together. Still exhausted from the lack of sleep, when she stood to take a shower, she could barely stand. She was shaking so badly she nearly fell several times on the way to the bathroom. In the bright lights, she looked pale and washed out. Her hair fell lank around her face, and she had dark circles under her eyes. As Shiori undressed, she could see the yellowing bruises on her chest and arms, though the bruises on her legs and back were as dark as ever. She didn't feel disappointed; she didn't feel anything but the great emptiness. She almost wanted to feel sad or angry or _something_ but she couldn't. She felt like she had flatlined emotionally, like there was nothing there. She was hollow.

And so this hollow shell of a woman washed herself in the shower and then made up her face to look happy and healthy and pretty for her family. When they came home she was there with a hug and a smile, ready to hear about their days and give them all she had left. But those times were also healing for her. When she forced herself to be cheerful, she could push away the sadness. When she was focused on serving her husband and stepson, she wasn't focused on her own pain. She could ignore the hollowness in her soul. She felt like she had something to live for.

But it never lasted long. Those few hours of dinner and family time before bed were only a few hours before the huge stretch of darkness and loneliness of night. Even lying next to her husband, Shiori felt desperately alone. She wanted to be heard. She wanted to be protected and loved and cared for. But she knew deep down that she wasn't. And if she told anyone what had happened, they wouldn't react with tenderness or pity but with scorn and disgust. So Shiori lay awake, crying.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurama was a highly competent tracker, and he knew it. The thrill of the chase was getting to him, and using his skills brought up memories of his days as a thief. As his bloodlust rose, his eyes grew more and more golden, and his red hair was shot through with white. Following his senses, he walked through the streets, finally stopping at the foot of a tall apartment building. Suddenly he looked around sharply, focusing intently on one woman in particular who was just leaving the building. With an intensity that frightened even Hiei, Kurama turned away from her and continued into the apartment building.

The doorman was surprised to see two notorious delinquents enter his building and he rushed to turn the group of boys away.

"They're not with me," Kurama said, brushing past the doorman and leaving the others without looking back. Hiei had hesitated too long, so he was ushered out with Yusuke and Kuwabara.

Kurama headed straight for the elevators and went up to the fourth floor. He wandered up and down the halls, not quite finding what he was looking for. An older woman with a similar ki pattern to Shiori's attacker appeared, and Kurama followed her into her apartment.

She started to scream, but she was quickly silenced by Kurama's hand around her throat. Without any hint of pity, Kurama dragged her into the kitchen and slit her throat with a cleaver.

"You should have let her scream. I love screams; they're like music to my ears," Hiei said, coming in through the window.

"Where are the others?" Kurama asked.

Hiei shrugged. Kurama began digging through the woman's belongings.

"She's married," Hiei said.

Kurama nodded absently. "What does that matter?"

"Her husband beats her. She likes to rape other women because she feels powerful when she does it. Her mother moved in because she thought she could keep the husband in check but he's been beating her too. They have three children," Hiei said.

"Do you think I care about her story?" Kurama demanded. "So what if she's been abused? I care nothing for humans and their petty problems. When her husband comes here, I will kill him too."

"And the children?" Hiei asked.

"Their deaths will be sweet. I will make their mother watch as I take away everything she cares about. Then I will kill her slowly," Kurama declared.

The woman's husband came home first. There were long shadows in the apartment, and when he turned on the lights the first thing he noticed was the smell.

"Mother?" he called. "Are you home?"

He went into his bedroom and changed out of his suit into more comfortable pants and a t-shirt. The man scratched himself idly and sank gratefully down onto the couch, lighting a cigarette and switching on the TV.

A fox demon came languorously into view. He was stunningly beautiful, with golden eyes and soft silver hair. The man was immediately aroused, and the demon smiled down at him. When the demon came closer and leaned over him, the man came in his pants. The demon smirked and brushed his hand softly down the man's chest. The demon straddled the man, taking the lit cigarette and playing with it.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Kurama asked in a wonderfully erotic voice.

The man couldn't speak coherently, but he smiled and nodded.

Kurama leaned closer, breathing in the tobacco smoke.

"What shall we do first?" he mused aloud.

The man laughed, thinking only of his pleasure.

Kurama locked eyes with the man and slowly ground the cigarette out on his chest.

"Are you happy now?" he asked with a smile.

The man's excitement turned to horror and then to fear. Kurama laughed slowly at first, and then gleefully as he watched the man try to escape.

"I'm not letting you go," Kurama chided. "You're mine."

But when Kurama didn't hurt him further, the man's fear turned back into lust and arousal.

"You're the kinky sort," he commented nervously.

"Hmm, you think so?" Kurama asked. "Do you want me?"

Kurama's tone was light, but his eyes were hard and unforgiving, so the man wasn't sure how to respond. Kurama started to untie the man's pajama pants, and he slipped a hand in and grabbed the man's erection.

"What about now?" Kurama teased.

The man nearly came again from Kurama's closeness, the heat in his voice, and his hand on the man's penis.

"Do you want me now?" Kurama asked again.

"Y-yes," the man stammered out.

Kurama leaned close to the man, humming in satisfaction. With a clean jerk, he pulled the man's balls off, leaving him bloody and screaming.

"Too loud," Kurama commented, stuffing the man's balls in his mouth to quiet him. The man started crying in pain and fear.

"I like it when you cry," Kurama said with a smile. Kurama jammed the TV remote up the man's ass, then sat up and pushed the man away, satisfied to watch him in pain.

"My god, you're hot when you torture people," Hiei whispered. Kurama smiled.

"Want to join?" he asked seductively.

The man turned to the side and spit out his ruined testicles.

"Are you two getting off on this?" he asked wildly.

Hiei's eyes were wide with lust, and he kissed Kurama passionately before pulling out his sword and turning to the man.

Kurama sat back on the couch. "Impress me," he challenged.


	8. Chapter 8

"Kuwabara had to go feed his cat or something," Yusuke said when he finally managed to get in the building. He smelled human blood, and his demon side sat up and raged to be released. Blue lines glowed along his arms and his hair began to lengthen.

"And look who has decided to join us," Kurama said with a satisfied tone. Hiei looked up from carving crude words into the man's skin. Hiei smiled sardonically to see Yusuke half transformed, taking in the scene with disgust and longing at the same time. When Yusuke saw Kurama, his breath caught in his throat for a moment. The natural mazoku desire for blood and sex overwhelmed him, and Yusuke found himself in his full demon form kneeling on the ground, watching Hiei cutting carefully so the blood spilled but not so much that the man might die.

It was agonizing for Yusuke to watch. Hiei dipped a finger in the man's pooling blood and Yusuke leaned up like a mewling child to suck Hiei's finger clean. With Hiei and Yusuke both so aroused, Kurama was feeding off both of them to the point where he couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore. Kurama lapped at the blood on the man's chest, leaning over his mangled body so Kurama's front was streaked with red. Practically lying on the man, Kurama reached all the way up to the man's neck and bit down, feeling the warm rush of blood in his mouth. Soon, Yusuke joined him in drinking up the man's lifeblood. Hiei looked down on the two of them lustfully, though he did not join them. Breathing heavily, even Hiei was surprised when he heard a key in the door. He had more foresight than the others, and he flickered to the doorway in time to prevent the woman from leaving. She had arrived with her three children, and Hiei caught her before she could move away.

Hiei dragged the screaming woman over to the couch. With the fireplace poker, he carefully pinned her to the wall where she could see her husband laid out with Kurama still sucking up the last of his blood and Yusuke, unable to control the mazoku desire for dominance, having sex with the man's body while still reaching out to grope Kurama.

Hiei dragged the woman's son out by his hair.

"Eat him," he commanded Yusuke. Without even thinking, Yusuke grabbed at the child, pulled him close, and bit into him, tearing his clothes. Yusuke looked hesitantly up at Hiei, who motioned for him to continue. Yusuke's demon instincts took over, and he buried his face into the child's chest cavity and ate greedily.

The woman began to cry watching her child be eaten in front of her and realizing what had happened to her husband. Hiei watched her in satisfaction and when Yusuke had tossed the child's body aside, Hiei made sure he had the woman's full attention as he went to hunt down the next child.

Yusuke, sated, leaned back on the couch and watched Kurama play with the man's body, flaying the skin off and breaking his bones. Hiei came back into the living room with the woman's other son.

"Have you ever had one cooked?" he asked Yusuke with a smile. The woman whimpered. Yusuke shook his head mutely, quite satisfied but enthralled at the prospect of more. When even Kurama looked up curiously, Hiei cut off the boy's head with a practiced stroke and carved him up into pieces. Satisfied that the woman saw her son killed, Hiei took the flesh into the kitchen to cook. Kurama snacked idly on the boy's liver. When Kurama turned to look at the woman, the full force of his aura hit her. She was so overcome with lust at Kurama's appearance and disgust that he was eating her son that she threw up down the front of her shirt.

Hiei returned shortly with pieces of boy flesh on a plate. It was beautifully cooked and seasoned, and he made Yusuke and Kurama eat it from his hands, kissing each of them in turn as they ate. When they had finished, Hiei brought out the woman's daughter and killed her slowly, reveling in her screams of pain and enjoying the power he felt from torturing the children and also from Yusuke's and Kurama's submission.

Hiei finally took the woman down off the wall, stripped her naked, and forced her to kneel and bow at Kurama's feet.

"I will enjoy breaking you," Kurama murmured.


	9. Chapter 9

Kurama pulled a single seed from his hair and pushed it against the woman's arm until it broke the skin. As soon as it made contact with her blood, the seed grew rapidly. Where it touched her tissues, they began to steam and burn. The plant burrowed its way inward, seeking out her heart. For some minutes, Kurama just watched as the woman's body was destroyed from the inside out. Finally, the plant's distinctive growth pattern showed up under her skin, and when the plant flowered from her eyeballs, Kurama knew that the woman would not survive much longer.

"Let's burn the place down," he said. Hiei was quick to agree; they didn't want to leave a trail that the human world's authorities could trace. Otherworldly flames started up, and they consumed the apartment, leaving no smoke and stopping abruptly at the walls. With the apartment purified of incriminating evidence and the bodies' remains turned to ash, Kurama sank down tiredly, taking his human form again. When even Yusuke had managed to return to normal, the trio left.

They congregated at Kuwabara's house, but after the intensity of their experience, none of the boys wanted to talk. Kuwabara hadn't participated, but he still glowered at the others in disapproval. Eikichi didn't notice the tense atmosphere and purred happily at all the attention. Kuwabara noticed suspiciously that something had changed among the other three, and while he wasn't happy at being left out he was quite sure he didn't want any part of what had happened.

As the sun rose, bathing Kuwabara's room with splashes of color, Kurama stood.

"I should probably get home," he said, excusing himself.

The others waved but otherwise didn't seem to notice Kurama leaving.

When Kuwabara looked away for a moment, Hiei flickered away, leaving only Yusuke.

"Hey, dude, can I crash here?" Yusuke asked.

"Sure, man," Kuwabara replied.

Minutes passed in silence.

"I'm going to bed," Kuwabara said. Yusuke didn't reply, but he crawled into bed with Kuwabara and fell straight asleep. Kuwabara was a bit unnerved by Yusuke's suddenly sleeping with him, but Kuwabara figured he'd ask about it in the morning.


	10. Chapter 10

Yusuke was quiet. Kuwabara fidgeted in his chair, playing with his breakfast more than eating it. He glanced nervously around the room, questions welling up and dying before he could ask them. After Kuwabara had stabbed his breakfast thoroughly, Yusuke sighed angrily.

"What?" he demanded hoarsely.

Kuwabara flinched and looked away. "What happened last night?" he asked, finally meeting Yusuke's eyes.

"Bad things," Yusuke admitted softly. "You don't want to know. I was so out of control. At the time, it felt good, it felt right. But now…when I woke up, I just…I remember it differently now. I can't believe it's all real."

"Did Kurama kill the lady?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's why we were there," Yusuke shrugged.

"Did he really drag it out or something?" Kuwabara pressed.

"Nah, not so much. He kinda took it out on her husband, so by the time she got home I think Kurama was calmer," Yusuke replied.

"The husband too?" Kuwabara seemed incredulous.

"Yeah. That was bad. And her mom too." Yusuke buried his head in his hands. "And her kids," he mumbled, so softly Kuwabara almost didn't hear.

Kuwabara almost flipped the table. "Children?" he demanded. "Didn't you guys learn anything from the Amanuma thing?" Kuwabara stood abruptly and paced roughly across the kitchen, shaking his head incredulously. Yusuke sighed harshly and closed his eyes.

"I don't know what to do," Yusuke whispered.

"What exactly happened last night?" Kuwabara demanded, sitting across from Yusuke and staring him down.

"I don't even remember all of it," Yusuke admitted, hanging his head.

"Bull. Try harder," Kuwabara insisted.

"I really don't," Yusuke protested. "When I got there, the atmosphere was so intense I couldn't even stay human. It wasn't quite like when Raizen took over, but it was nearly that bad. I was just acting on instinct, I couldn't control it and I didn't want to."

"So you killed them and you couldn't stop it?" Kuwabara clarified.

"No, the mom was already dead when I got there. I'm not sure about the husband. I just remember the kid. I don't even remember if it was a girl or a boy. I just held it and Hiei told me to kill it and I did. I didn't even question him." Yusuke had a haunted look on his face.

Kuwabara's anger was growing, and he clenched his hands into fists under the table. "That's not an excuse! Kurama went there to get his twisted revenge on the woman who hurt Shiori. I disagreed, but it's Kurama and he's weird about his mom so I left you guys to it. But there's never an excuse to bring the rest of her family into it," he insisted, banging the table to emphasize his point.

Yusuke didn't protest Kuwabara's rant. "I know," he finally agreed.

"So that's it?" Kuwabara demanded.

"I don't know what else to do!" Yusuke said desperately. "What do I do?"

"Hey, this is your thing," Kuwabara said. "Talk to Kurama about it. Or Hiei, but good luck with that one."

"Kurama's probably with his mom," Yusuke sighed. "I really don't want to go home."

"Fine. You can stay here," Kuwabara relented. "But you gotta be the one to explain if Shizuru asks what you're doing here."

Yusuke nodded.

"Is that the worst of it?" Kuwabara pressed.

"It's part," Yusuke admitted. "I'm not sure what to call the worst of it."

Kuwabara groaned. "What could be worse?"

"I'm pretty sure I kissed Hiei," Yusuke joked.

"Wait, really?" Kuwabara grimaced.

"Yeah," Yusuke smiled. "I don't think you'd want to hear the full story."

"Maybe not," Kuwabara decided. "I'm pretty sure I have to take a shower now. But really? Killing a kid wasn't the worst?"

"You don't want to know," Yusuke said.

"Someday I want to," Kuwabara insisted. "Maybe not today though."


End file.
